Seven-time champions Canterbury Crusaders opened their title defence with a hard-fought win as the Northern Bulls were the early leaders after the first weekend of rugby’s Super 14.
New Zealand’s Crusaders showed they remain a force as they began life without coach Robbie Deans and star flyhalf Dan Carter by edging out the Waikato Chiefs 19-13 at home.
The Bulls topped the opening week’s standings on points differential as one of five teams to take maximum points after their 33-20 victory over the Queensland Reds in Pretoria.
Australia’s NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies both registered significant victories in New Zealand, as the Waratahs held out the Wellington Hurricanes 26-22 and the Brumbies scored a late drop goal to snatch a 33-31 win over the Otago Highlanders.
The Golden Lions produced a 34-28 win over Central Cheetahs in an all-South Africa thriller, and New Zealand’s three-time champions Auckland Blues finished too strongly for Australia’s Western Force 25-19 in Perth.
Coastal Sharks, semi-finalists last season in the southern hemisphere provincial championship, downed the Western Stormers 20-15 in another South African derby in Cape Town.
Despite the closeness of the scores, the Crusaders were never behind in their opening match and the standard-bearers of New Zealand rugby soaked up the best the Chiefs could throw at them before ending it with an 80th-minute try.
The Chiefs, with a reputation for being slow starters and under-achievers, have been the Crusaders’ bogey team in recent years and raised fears of a third upset in a row as they fought back from 5-14 down at half-time.
Meanwhile the Bulls, the 2007 champions, ran in four tries to the Reds’ two to claim a scoring bonus point after enjoying a 10-6 half-time lead.
And the Waratahs relied on rock-solid defence to pull off a bonus-point win over the Hurricanes.
Although only in the Hurricanes’ half for less than 20 minutes of the match, last year’s beaten finalists made the most of their limited chances with their first three attacking raids all yielding points for
a 19-0 lead within half an hour.
They then produced their bonus-point fourth try with 10 minutes remaining and the Hurricanes closing fast.
A drop goal by Christian Lealiifano a minute from time got the Brumbies home over the Highlanders after both sides took four-try bonus points.
The Auckland Blues, who now head to South Africa, conceded the first two tries against the Force and trailed 14-8 at the break, but produced a three-try burst to foil the error-prone home side.
The Lions, who finished bottom last season, needed late drop goals by replacement back Andre Pretorius and flyhalf Earl Rose to see off the Cheetahs.
A brilliant try by full-back Stefan Terblanche midway through the second half completed a stirring comeback by the Sharks over the Stormers, who led 10-0 at half-time. – AFP
